The Jerusalem Controversies

All that talk about possible freezes on Jewish construction near and in east Jerusalem is meaningless, reports Abe Selig, because in fact “construction projects in neighborhoods near the Old City have been moving forward at a dizzying pace,” more are being considered, and “it matters very little what the prime minister says to the Americans.” (Jerusalem Post)

According to the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, Jerusalem’s Arab education system is short about 1,000 public school classrooms, meaning that an estimated 30,000 students are forced to attend private schools run by e.g. churches, and the Islamic Wakf. The number is expected to rise. In addition, thousands of pupils in East Jerusalem are “forced to learn in classrooms that are either far too small or lack proper ventilation.” (Jerusalem Post)

A new book looks at Jerusalem’s Mamilla neighborhood “from prosperity to decay [in the 19 years between the War of Independence and the Six Day War] and back again.” (Jerusalem Post)

Haim Watzman asks, if Jews can legally reclaim homes they owned pre-1948 in Sheikh Jarrah, then why do the courts bar Arabs from reclaiming homes they owned pre-1948 in the West Jerusalem area called Baka? (Forward)

Sarah Kreimer sees in this matter a fundamental injustice: “Israeli law, which vigorously defends pre-1948 Jewish land claims in East Jerusalem, flatly denies pre-1948 Palestinian land claims in West Jerusalem.” (Ha’aretz)